Pleasant Surprises
by SkulduggeryCain
Summary: A series of Skulduggery One-Shots. Valduggery and Ghanith. Please read & review. I'll update at least 3 times a week. total lie right there
1. The Ring

**This kicks off my one-shot series! It should probably never end and I will update 3 times a week at the least. R&R!**

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Skulduggery was waiting inside the Bentley. He had told Valkyrie to go get a coffee, and she had been puzzled about why she had gone to get one as she left. As he sat there, he stared at the small ring he was going to use to propose.

"Valkyrie, I have known you now... No, that sucks. Valkyrie, for a long time now, I have felt.... No, that doesn't work either. Come on Skulduggery, think..."

Just at that moment, the door opened and Valkyrie slid inside. Unprepared, Skulduggery didn't have enough time to put the ring away before she had seen it. She took three moments to stare, before asking the first of her many questions.

"Is that a wedding ring?"

"Yes."

"Are you proposing to someone?"

"Yes."

"Is it Tanith?"

"No."

"China?"

"No, I'd be crazy to do that."

"We don't know any more women."

"Shame."

He put the ring away, and started up the Bentley. As he pressed on the pedal, he glanced sideways at Valkyrie. She looked straight back at him.

"So who _are_ you proposing to?"

"You don't know her."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Silence ensued for several minutes.

"It's me, isn't it?"

"Bingo."


	2. Valkyrie's Eighteenth

**PM me with suggestions! thanks for all the interest! Make sure requests are not Fletcherie related, because I refuse to allow them to be together! Thanks!**

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Valkyrie Cain laughed as Tanith Low launched herself onto her, grabbing her and pulling her into a bone-crushing hug.

"Happy birthday!" Tanith cried, shoving a present into Valkyrie's stomach. Valkyrie gasped as she unwrapped it. Inside was a long sword, sheathed, with small skulls running down the side. Valkyrie grinned happily, and hugged her best friend.

"Thanks Tanith!" Valkyrie said, placing it down next to the others she had received. "It's my favourite!"

_I've said that about all of them, but I think I mean it this time._

"It was nothing, Val!" Tanith smiled, hugging her again. "It is your 18th, after all!"

Another knock on the door sent the two flying apart. It turned out to be Ghastly Bespoke. He too hugged Valkyrie momentarily, before handing her a box tied with ribbon. She gasped with delight, and opened it immediately. Inside was another set of his amazing clothing, protective and fitted exactly to her. Valkyrie hugged Ghastly quickly, before rushing upstairs to try them on.

"So... how many had she got so far?"

"23, including mine and yours."

"Has Skulduggery been here yet?"

"Not yet, no. God knows what he's got her, though. Whatever it is, it had better make her happy."

Tanith smiled at Ghastly. He smiled back, discreetly. At that moment, Valkyrie appeared on the stairs, and she ran down them quickly.

"What do you guys think?"

She did a twirl as she reached the bottom. She was wearing a sharp suit, and it fitted her perfectly. The delight showed on her face.

"It's looks great, Val," Tanith said, smiling. "A perfect fit."

"Thanks again, Ghastly," Valkyrie said happily. "I love them!"

"It was nothing, Valkyrie." Ghastly said, embarrassed. "I thought you would like something like that, as it's your 18th."

"You were right!" Valkyrie laughed.

There was a knock on the door.

Valkyrie opened it, and her eyes shone with delight as Skulduggery Pleasant finally made an appearance. He was wearing his usual disguise, and along with his suit and coat he looked almost normal. Except, of course he wasn't.

"Skulduggery!" Valkyrie smiled. "Glad you could make it!"

"I wouldn't have missed it," Skulduggery said, tilting his head slightly. "You become an adult today, and you receive all of the stuff left to you by Gordon."

Valkyrie clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Oh god I forgot about that! That means now I can invite you guys to live with me in Gordons- I mean my, house! If you, uh, want to..."

Tanith smiled. So did Ghastly. Skulduggery remained as impassive as ever, but Valkyrie thought she knew what he meant.

"I'll live with you!" Tanith cried, hugging Valkyrie again.

"I'll perhaps visit more often than I do," Ghastly said, shrugging. "I have the shop to look after, but I'm sure I could find the time to visit..."

He looked shocked as both girls hugged him. Ghastly stared for a moment, before putting an arm around each of them. He laughed.

"Hey Skulduggery, what do you say? Are you going to come too?"

Skulduggery looked at three, all in each other's arms. Valkyrie's smile fell. Was something wrong with him?

But then he nodded slowly, and she relaxed. He walked over and patted Valkyrie on the head.

"If you want."

"Of course I do!"

"Alright then."

And then Skulduggery got a hug too.

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A few hours later, Valkyrie was stood on the balcony of her new home. She would be moving in officially tomorrow, as well as Tanith. They were going to use Ghastly's van to move the belongings.

With a sigh, she looked out towards the setting sun. This birthday had been fun. All of her friends had come to see her, given her gifts, and they had had immense fun until the end of the small party. Even Fletcher had been great. But there was just one thing that stuck on her mind.

_What did Skulduggery give me?_

As she recalled, he hadn't given her anything. He hadn't even mentioned anything to her. That had made her worried, and puzzled. He always gave her something. He had never missed.

Suddenly, there was a rustling sound, and Skulduggery was there. He was behind her on the balcony, watching her with his empty eye sockets.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi."

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

"You must be doing something. You can never do nothing."

"Fine. I'm thinking."

"About what?"

"None of your business, Skul!"

"Tell me."

"No!"

"Why not?"

Valkyrie groaned. She hated conversations like this. But it was only because he always got the answers out of her when he-

Tickle.

Tickle Tickle.

Tickle Tickle Tickle Tickle...

"YOU SKULDUGGERY!" Valkyrie roared with laughter as the bony fingers tickled her in her weak spots. She giggled, even after the fingers stopped. But when she finally did stop, she noticed something.

Skulduggery was leaning in closer, and closer, and closer...

Contact.

Valkyrie shut her eyes as their lips met. In her belly a party was happening, her emotions dancing and having a ball. It was bliss.

_Ohmygodohmygodohmygod_

Valkyrie sighed as they broke apart, and she opened her eyes. She knew that the skeleton was smiling.

"Happy birthday," he said.


	3. Halloween Part 1 of 2

**GUYSSS! I am sooo sorry for not updating this for ages! I WILL update more often now, I was just enoying my summer break... but now I'm back! **

**ANYWAY.**

**This is the first half of a two-part One-Shot about Halloween with our favourite characters!**

**Disclaimer; I do not own Skulduggery Pleasant or anything associated with it!**

**GH-SC**

**OH! **

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TYPE IN 'SKULDUGGERYCAIN' AND LOOK FOR THE ONE WITH THE SAME PROFILE PICTURE AS MY ACCOUNT HERE WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF 'AUTHOR' THANKS!

[LINK IS ON MY PROFILE!]

**_THANKYOU!_**

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Skulduggery stood outside of the Costume Shop, waiting for Tanith and Valkyrie to come out. It was Halloween, and because they hadn't previously had time to go find a costume, they had decided that now was the best time to go hunt for one. He didn't see the point in Halloween really - running around houses asking for sweets wasn't altogether that fun. That being said, he had never really tried it, because he had been too busy with his life as a Detective. He didn't like the sound of it much though, as he knew there were costumes for all sorts of creatures that he knew to be very real, very dangerous, unlike what normal people thought. They believed it was all just superstition.

"SKULDUGGERY!"

He jumped as Tanith bolted out of the door, screaming his name as she ran up to him. She was carrying a large bag, and inside he could see part of the costume she had bought sticking out of a plastic bag. She dropped the bag on the pavement beside her and fumbled around inside, looking for something he presumed. After a minute she straightened up, holding what appeared to be a face mask. On the front was a rubbery skeletal face, and Skulduggery groaned. He knew exactly what she had bought.

"Well," Tanith began, "Me and Val were thinking, that we could all dress up as skeletons this year! Even Ghastly's going to join in, so we thought that maybe you could too!"

"Tanith, how many times," Skulduggery moaned. "I hate Halloween!"

"How can you hate it? It's brilliant!" Tanith told him, waving her skeleton mask in his face. "Come on Skul, just for one year, come out with us and have some fun! You're always so serious and you know that makes Val worried."

Skulduggery glanced through the shop window at Valkyrie, who was stood by the counter paying for her own costume. Just as he turned his head to look at her, she glanced over at him. He couldn't turn away fast enough, and as he turned he saw Valkyrie smile slightly as he whipped back around.

"Fine, just for one year."

"YAY SKUL!" Tanith cried, leaping forward and hugging him. He pushed her off hurriedly, looking slightly annoyed. You couldn't really tell with him, as his skeletal face was always stuck in the same expression.

Just at that moment Valkyrie came out of the shop, clutching a similar bag to Tanith's. She smiled at them both, walking over to them and dropping her bag at their feet.

"Okay, so the shopping's done," she said happily. "Tanith, is Ghastly...?"

"Yeah, he's already got his costume for tonight." Tanith assured her, nodding. "We're set."

"Great." Valkyrie sighed, looking happy and sad at the same time. She stared the bags on the floor, looking at the costumes inside of them. Very quietly she bent down and picked her own costume out of the bag, unfolding it and holding it up for them both to see.

"Do you like it?" Valkyrie asked, directing the question more at Skulduggery than Tanith. He stared at it blankly for a moment, taking in the rubbery bones, the black outline and the distinct shape of the skull on the fabric.

"It's... familiar," Skulduggery said quietly.

"Skul..." Valkyrie sighed, shoving her costume back into the back. "I can go exchange it for something else if you don't like it."

"It's not that I don't like it," Skulduggery said quickly in an even tone. "It's just that it's weird to see a costume that supposed to look... well... like me..."

"Are you sure you're okay with me wearing this?" Valkyrie said, stepping forward to take Skulduggery's hand involuntarily. He stared down at their intertwined hands for a moment before looking back up at her.

"I'm sure that it's fine."

"You two!" Tanith said from beside them, reminding them both that she was still there. "Stop sharing a romantic moment and let's go back to the Bentley! Ghastly's waiting for us."

"It wasn't a romantic moment," Valkyrie insisted as she released her grip on Skulduggery's hand. "It was an understanding gesture."

"Sure it was, Val, sure it was," Tanith muttered as she began leading them back towards their car.

After walking through several streets and side alleys, they finally reached the place where the Bentley was parked. It was a 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental, one of only 208 ever made, which housed a six-cylinder, 4.5 litre engine, and was retro-fitted with central locking, climate control, satellite navigation and a host of other modern conveniences. When Valkyrie had first met Skulduggery, he had told her all this when she had asked the type of car. She still would've been happy with just 'It's a Bentley'.

As they neared the car, Ghastly Bespoke came into view. He was sat in the passenger seat of the car, reading the local newspaper. He didn't look up until Tanith rapped on the window and he jumped away from it. He glared at her for a moment before smiling, laughing quickly as Skulduggery went around to the car boot to open it.

"Pass me your bags Tanith," Skulduggery called, extending his hand out to the side. Valkyrie passed Tanith her bag and went to go sit in the back of the car while Skulduggery and Tanith sorted out their luggage into the boot.

"Anything interesting in the paper Ghastly?" she asked as she climbed inside the car and shut the door behind her.

"Not much Val, just the usual boring stuff about people's everyday lives. Nothing major."

"Well that's good," Valkyrie sighed. "It means that we'll be okay to have fun tonight without nutters like Sanguine chasing us around like usual."

"It's certainly a bonus from last year..." Ghastly admitted, remembering when they had encountered Dusk the vampire while they were out and had to fight him all night long.

"Skulduggery will be pleased," Tanith said as she got in the back beside Valkyrie. "He's coming with us this year."

"He is?" Valkyrie said, bewildered. "But I thought he hated Halloween?"

"I do," Skulduggery told her as he climbed into the driver's seat. "But you four are always so enthusiastic about it I thought I might give it a go."

"There are only three of us in the car besides you, Skul." Valkyrie muttered.

"Fletcher teleported in a minute ago, he's sat beside you."

Valkyrie looked around and sure enough Fletcher Renn was now sat between her and Tanith. She stared at him with disgust and hit him on the arm.

"I thought I told you NOT to randomly pop up and not say that you're there?"

"But when I do say I'm there you always scream in surprise," Fletcher moaned. "At least this way you don't yelp."

"Still, don't do it!" Valkyrie told him, hitting him lightly on the arm. "Alright?"

"Fine Val, I promise," Fletcher agreed, flashing a cocky grin at her.

"It's easy to tell when you're lying, Fletch," Tanith muttered, prodding his arm.

"Right, are we going back to Gordon's Val or should we head to Ghastly's shop?" Skulduggery interrupted, secretly not enjoying the conversation Valkyrie was having with Fletcher. Deep inside he knew, even though he repeatedly told himself that he shouldn't, that he loved Valkyrie. Not as a brother, a father or as her mentor, but as a woman. What troubled him most was Fletcher; because he was the same age as her and was bad looking (in her opinion) he was the most likely to start a relationship with her. And that would totally ruin Skulduggery's day, every day.

"I think we'll go back to Gordon's, Skul," Valkyrie replied, looking at him in the rear view mirror. She thought that his skeletal face looked slightly annoyed, but she couldn't fathom why. As he started up the car and began reversing, she decided that she would ask him later what had annoyed him. After all, she would be seeing him for the next seven hours.

After a short while the Bentley pulled up in the courtyard of Gordon Edgley's estate. Valkyrie stepped out first, running to the door and opening it with the key which she had been given the day her uncle had died. She had been gravely upset about his death, but now again she could still see him again using the echo stone he had imprinted his consciousness onto.

As she pushed open the door, the ghostly figure of her late uncle stepped out to meet them. He was a ghostly figure, transparent and you could see straight through him. He was barely visible in the bright sunlight, but you could just make out his outline against the dark background of the wooden porch walls.

"Hello Stephanie," he said, smiling at his favourite niece. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks," Valkyrie replied, smiling. "My name is Valkyrie."

"Sorry," the ghost of Gordon apologised. "I keep forgetting that you now have a taken name. I see that you've brought everyone with you," he said, nodding towards the Bentley.

"Yeah, I kind of had to," she laughed. "It's Halloween and we have to get ready.

"You're still doing all of that at your age?" he said in a disbelieving tone. "I don't think I've ever met anyone who at 16 still went 'Trick or Treating'."

"Well you've never met us then," Valkyrie laughed. "We're all going this year. Even Skulduggery is!"

"Blimey!" Gordon scoffed. "You managed to get him to take part too? You're good. Very good."

"Thanks," she laughed.

"Val!" Tanith called from over near the Bentley. "Come and get your costume, then!"

"Be back in a minute," Valkyrie told Gordon as she rushed towards Tanith. As she ran he shook his head and looked at the group with a smile on his face.

"They're all so... childish," he muttered happily. "And immature."

He watched them as they removed all of their bags from the car boot and locked the Bentley up. Valkyrie carried the bags with the costumes in, and the other four carried the shopping which they had done earlier. The mansion's fridge had been completely drained of food after last night's events. It had been Tanith's birthday, and they had had a big party at the mansion to celebrate. At the end of the day there had been a long film-fest, which lasted for about six hours ending early in the morning. Ghastly and Skulduggery had stayed overnight, sleeping in the spare rooms, while Valkyrie and Tanith slept in their own bedrooms. Tanith and Valkyrie had been living together in the mansion for just under a year, after Valkyrie had turned 18 and Gordon's royalties had been handed down to her.

Ten minutes later they were all inside; all the costumes were hung in the wardrobe ready for the night ahead, and the fridge was once again fully stocked. While Valkyrie had been shopping she had bought some Halloween decorations, and began setting them up on the outside of the mansion and putting up the indoor ones. As she worked, Skulduggery came up to her and looked at the decorations, his skeletal face ridden with confusion.

"What are they for?"

"They're decorations Skul, they're just to put us in the Halloween mood," Valkyrie said, standing on her tip-toes as she stuck a paper pumpkin to the wall.

"And what about the ones outside? What are they for?" Skulduggery asked, still perplexed.

"They're for other people to look at when they come and Trick or Treat here," she replied.

"People walk up here?" Skulduggery said, posing it as a question more than a statement like he intended.

"Yeah, they do," Valkyrie answered, picking up a paper skull. "Because we'll all be out tonight, I'm going to leave a dish with sweets in outside."

"But won't some greedy kid just steal it all at once?" Skulduggery wondered, staring down at the paper skull Valkyrie held in her hand.

"Nah they won't, because I've asked Gordon to pretend to haunt the house if they try and take more than one. He'll zoom out of a wall if they try and take multiple sweets."

"Isn't that a bit frightening for young kids?"

"Yeah I suppose, but it's Halloween. It's what you generally expect, you know, to be scared. It's pretty much what Halloween's about, beside the sweets of course."

"I see... so people want to be scared?" Skulduggery asked.

"Yeah," Valkyrie agreed, sticking the skull up beside the pumpkin. "They do."

"Val?"

Tanith walked through the doorway to their left and looked around. When she spotted Skulduggery and Valkyrie she smiled and walked over.

"How's the decorating going?" she asked, looking at the wall. Previous to hanging up the skull and pumpkin, Valkyrie had already put up a zombie, a werewolf and an alien.

"It's going pretty well," Valkyrie replied. "I've done the outside of the house, I just need to finish off inside."

"That's cool," Tanith said. "Well when you're done, Ghastly and me were thinking we could all watch a couple of the films we didn't get to see last night, you know the horror ones? It would fit in with the Halloween mood."

"That would be great!" Valkyrie replied enthusiastically, putting up the final paper cut-out which was an Egyptian Mummy. "It would pass the time well."

"So we'll see you in the living room in about ten minutes?" Tanith asked, directing the question at both Valkyrie and Skulduggery.

"Sure," Skulduggery said in his velvety voice. "Why not."

"Okay," Valkyrie said, glad that Skulduggery was up for it too. "Meet you there in ten minutes."

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**And that is the end of part one. This half is 6 pages on Word. The second half will be longer... just a warning!**

**PLEASE REVIEW THE BUTTON IS RIGHT THERE! V V V V**


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